Packaging machine



June 24-, 1930. A, 3. VE 1,765,?18

. PACKAGING MAGHINE Fil ed Feb. 15, 1928 AIL 6 Sheet-Sheet l 00 E6 00 l G a 1 E o 0 3 16 VC 0 0 3 y INVENTOR.

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June 24, 1930.

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June 24, 1930. A. 'c. EVERETT 1.765.718

' mcxmme MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 lllll v -ul mum.

- mummm EINVENTOR Q @AMM ATTORNEY Filed Feb. 15, 1928 s Sheet-Sheet 5 INVENTOR 5M. CLMELQM ATTORNEY June 24, 1930. A. c. EVERETT PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15. 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR BY 4 71;. 010m 8w)?! ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR .CLARENCE EVERETT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T PNEU- MATIC SCALE CORPORATION, LIMITED, '01 QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OF MASSACHUSETTS PACKAGING MACHINE Application filed February 15, 1928. Serial No. 254,421.

This invention relates to a chine.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel machine for sealing the bottom flaps packaging maof cartons with which cartons may be eft'ectively sealed in a rapid, economical and superior manner.

A further object of the invention is toconsists in the packaging machine and particularly the bottom sealing machine, and in the structures, arrangements and combinations of parts, hereinafter describeda'nd particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferre'd embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sufiicient portion of a bottom sealing machine embodying the present invention to enable the same to be understood; Fig. 2 is an end view in elevation of a portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view, viewed from the left in Fig. 1, showing the cam for operating the glue roll and associated mechanism; Fig. 4 is an elevation of a portion of the glue applying mechanism illustrating the glue roll in the position in which it is being supplied with glue; Fig. 5 is a plan of a portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detail in side elevation illustrating the mechanism for controlling the glue applying mechanism in accordance with the presence or absence of a carton upon the forming block; Fig. 7 is a plan, with portions in section, illustrative of additional portions of the mechanism for controlling the operation of the adhesive applying mechanism from the cartons; Fig. 8 is a detail in vertical section of the mechanism illustrated in Fig.

7; and Figs. 9, 10, 11', 12 and 13 are details to be referred to; Fig. 14 is a front elevation of the machine illustrating the details of the folding mechanism; Fig. 15 is a plan as may hereinafter appear, the invention.

view of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 14; and Fig. 16 is an end view of the folding mechanism and its operating mechanism. I

In general one feature of the present invention contemplates the provision of a novel machine for sealing the flaps of cartons in a novel and superior manner and in which provision is made for applying the adhesive to the bottom flaps of the carton by a novel and simplified adhesive applying mechanism. This feature of the invention is particularly useful in sealing the bottom flaps of cartons in a bottom sealing machine.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision in a bottom sealing machine of novel mechanism for controlling the op.- eration of the adhesive applying mechanism in accordance with the presence or absence of'a carton upon the usual forming block of the bottom sealer in order that adhesive may not be applied to the forming block in the event of the absence of a carton.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a novel bottom sealing machine in which the bottom flaps of the cartons are sealed in a novel and improved manner, by which diflicultics and disadvantages inherent in the methods of sealing such previously employed, as will be pointed out, are eliminated. In the present bottom sealing machine the adhesive is applied by means of an adhesive applying member arranged to traverse across the bottom of the forming block in the direction of its narrower dimension, and provision is made for first folding the narrower flaps of the carton against the bottom of the forming block and for causing the adhesive applying member to traverse transversely across them and across the inner surface of one of the wider flaps, leaving one of the wider flaps without the direct application of adhesive thereto. Provision is then made for folding down the latter wider flap and for thereafter folding the first wider flap over uponthe previously folded down wider flap, as will be hereinafter described in detail.

Referring now to the drawings, the diiferbottom sealing machines now upon the mar-' ket. Reference is made to the patent to 7V. S. Scales No. 767,445, dated August 16, 1904, as disclosing the details of construction and mode of operation of such prior art bottom sealing machines.

Asis generally known, and as illustrated in the Scales Patent No. 767,445 above referred to, these prior art bottom sealing machines have included four forming blocks upon each of which a carton is placed by suitable mechanism, with the bottom flaps of the carton projecting below the bottom of the block. Successive cartons are placed upon successive blocks, as each block is moved into a definite station, and thereafter a particular block with its carton is intermittently revolved through successive steps of 90 each to permit the different operations of folding and sealing the bottom flaps of the carton to be performed.

Inasmuch as many portions of the bottom sealing machine of themselves constitute no part of the present invention, it has been deemed suificient to illustrate only sufficient portions of the bottom sealing machine as will enable the present invention to be understood, and as herein shown 10 represents the usual rotatable spider upon which the four forming blocks 12 are mounted to revolve therewith. The spider is arranged to be intermittently rotated by the usual form of Geneva drive including the Geneva wheel 14 and roll 16, the latter being driven from a convenient source of power through a shaft 20 and gear train 21, 22 and 2? The cartons are placed upon the blockswhen each block is brought into station No. 1, see Figs. 5 and 7, and after a carton has been placed upon a block in station No. 1 provision is made for folding the'two narrower flaps of the carton upon the bottom of the block, and this folding operation being performed by an oscillatory folding arm 32 and a fixed folding member 34. The arm 32 isarranged to be 0 erated from the cam 171 mounted on the s a'ft 172 through connections including a cam roller 170 mounted upon a link 175, through connected arms 176, 177, through a link 178 and arm 181. The arm 181 is fast to a shaft 179 to which is secured the arm 180 carrying the folding member 32. When the arm 32 is oscillated it engages one of the narrower flaps, folding'it under the bottom of the carton, and the second narrower flap is folded during the movement of the carton from station No. 1 to station No. 2.by a fixed folding member 34. The folding arm 82 is arranged to be withdrawn after the fixed folding guide 34 has engaged both flaps, and

station No. 2 the innermost wider "flap of the carton is bent outwardly by a fixed guide 40, and in arriving at station No. 2 such flap is caused to pass over a folding roll 42 and to be held by the roll in a position such as is indicated in Fig. 3.

After the block and carton have arrived at station No. 2 and the wider flap 41 has been held out of the way by the-folding roll 42, provision is made for applying adhesive to the outer surface of both of the folded narrower flaps and also to the inner surface of the outer wider flap 43. In accordance with the present invention the adhesive is applied by the passage of adhesive applying means travelling in the direction of the narrower dimension of the block, and as herein shown an adhesive applying roll 50, of a width greater than the larger dimension of the forming block and ca'rtomis arranged to be brought into engagement with the folded down narrower flaps in a position such as is illustrated in Fig.3, and is then causedto be moved forwardly in a direction transversely across the narrower flaps to apply the adhesive to the outer surface thereof. The adhesive roll 50 is caused to traverse across the inner surface of the flap 43 and in its movement the adhesive roll swings the flap 43 into a horizontal position against a supporting plate 54.

The described motion is imparted to the adhesive applying roll 50 by a control cam 58 having a cam groove 59 therein in which a cam roll 60 travels. The cam roll 60 is operatively connected with the adhesive applying roll 50 and as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 both rolls 50 and 60 are revolved with a cam arm 62 upon a cam shaft 64, the latter being driven through bevel gears 65 from the driving shaft 20. The cam roll 60 is carried by an arm 66 formed as illustrated in Fig. 3, and a corresponding arm 67. is connected by a cross piece 68, see Figs. 1 and 3. The adhesive applying roll 50 is mounted directly upon a pair of arms 7 0, each of the latter be ing pivoted to one of the arms 66, 67, and yieldably connected thereto by means of springs 72 and set screws 74 whereby as the cam arm 62 is revolved the adhesive applying roll 50 is caused to traverse from a position such as is illustrated in Fig. 3 in a direct line until the adhesive has been applied to the folded down narrower flaps and to the inner surface of one of the wider flaps 43, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

As the cam arm continues to revolve the ad hesive applying roll is. brought into contact With a supply roll 75 which is arranged to rotate in a bath of the glue or other adhesive within a tank 7 8, thus replenishing the supply of adhesive upon the adhesive applying roll 50. The quantity of adhesive upon the adhesive supply roll 70 is controlled bv a film and the overflow returns from an overflow pipe 88 through a return pipe 89 back to the tank 85, the construction being illustrated in Fi s. 1 and 2.

fter the adhesive has been applied to the folded down narrower flaps and to the inner surface of the wider flap 43 by the passage of the adhesive applying roll 50 thereover, the folding roll 42 is then withdrawn slightly to permit the flap 41., see Fig. 3, to fall so that thereafter as the folding roll is moved the flap 41 is folded upon the previously folded narrower flaps thus adhesively atfixing it thereto. Thereafter the supporting plate 54 is swung so as to cause a folding roll 91 carried thereby to fold the last wider flap onto the outer surface of the previously folded flap 41, and thus effecting the closing of the hot tom of the carton and the complete sealing of the bottom flaps thereof. I

The folding roll 42 and the supporting plate with its folding roll 91 are actuated from the cams 182, 183 respectively, see Figs. 15 and 16. The cam 182 is mounted on a shaft 184 and the desired motion is imparted to the folding roll 42 to perform the folding operation through connections including the cam roll 187 which rides in the cam 182 and a cam arm 185 pivoted at 186 and connected by a link 188 to one arm 189 of a bell crank through a pin and slot connection,'as'shown. The second arm 190 of the bell crank is connected by a link 191 to an arm 193 secured to the shaft 203. A second arm 194 is mounted upon the shaft and has pivotally mounted upon its lower end the roller arm 202 carrying the roll 42 upon its end. The arm 202 is connected by a spring 199 and operates to hold the stop member 200 against a stop 201. The stop 201 is carried in an arm 198 carried by an arm 204 pivoted at 197 upon the arm 194. The arm 204 carries a cam roll 196 which rides in a fixed cam groove 195.

In operation at the start of the folding operation the roll 42 is withdrawn slightly through the action imparted tothe pivoted roller arm 202 by the cam 195 through the stop pin 201, when the connecting rod 191 is pulled down, thus permitting the roll 42 to be withdrawn from under the flap and permitting the flap to fall from the position shown in Fig. 3. Thereafter the cam 195 permits a spring 199 to immediately raise the roller arm 202 so that upon further forward movement of the roll the flap is folded snugly against the bottom of the carton.

The folding roll 91 is operated from the cam 183, Fig, 15, through connections including the cam roll 205 on the cam arm 206. The cam arm 206 is connected to an arm 207, both being pivoted upon the sha'ft208 and the arm 207 is connected to one end of a lever 210 pivoted at 211 and carrying upon its second end a plate 54 pivoted thereto at 215. The plate 54 carries the folding roll 91. Provision is made for causing initial downward movement of the roll 91 on the end of the plate 54 at the start of the folding operation in order to fold the flap downwardly into a substantially vertical position. For this purpose pivotal motion is imparted to the plate 54 by a cam 219 through connections as illustrated including a cam arm 218, a connecting rod 213, a projecting member 212 pivotally connected to the arm 210 to move therewith, and through a connecting rod 214 pivotally connected to the plate 54, as shown. Upward motion is imparted by the cam 219 to the connecting rods 213, 214 to effect pivotal movement of the'plate 54 about its pivot 215. After the flap has been folded downwardly, provision is then made through the operation of the cam 183 and the connection described to cause the arm 210 to swing. inwardly about its pivot 211 and to effect the final folding of the flap 43. During this movement the cam 219 causes the plate 54 through the connections described to return to a substantially horizontal position operating to press the flap 43 against the previously folded flaps.

Provision is made for automatically controlling the operation of the glue applying mechanism from the cartons, and as herein shown the operation of such mechanism is controlled in accordance with the presence or absence of a carton and the forming block being moved into position for the application of the adhesive.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3,5 and 6, the cam 58 is pivotally supported by an arm secured to the machine frame and is normally held in an elevated position so as-to bring the adhesive applying roll 50 into operative position with relation to the bottom of the carton upon the forming block by a pin 98 positioned beneath a lug 99 upon'the cam 58. The cam 58 is arranged to be periodically raised and lowered by the pin 98 in timed relation to the movements of the spider 10, and provision is made for moving the pin out of the path of the lug 99 prior to the time that thecam 58 would normally be raised into operative position whenever a carton is absent from the formingtion No. 2. The pin is normally rocked about a pivot stud 106 by a cam 108 cooperating with a cam roll 110 on the end of the lever 102, a spring 112 being provided to maintain,

the roll in contact with the face of the cam. T he construction is best illustrated in Figs. 5.and 6, and from an inspection of such figures it will be observed that as long as the pin 98 remains in a projected position, the cam 108 will through the cam roll 110 and lever 102 periodically lift the cam 58 into a position to permit the adhesive applying roll 50 to be moved across and in contact with the flaps to apply the adhesive thereto as above described. When, however, the pin is not in its projected position it will not engage the lug 99 when the lever 102 is lifted so that-the cam 58 will remain in its lowered position, and as a result the adhesive, applying roll 50 is not raised into contact with the bottom of the forming block during the revolution of the adhesive roll 50 around the cam groove in the cam 58.

-Provision is made for operatively con necting the detector finger 104 for detecting the presence of a carton upon the block in the passage of the block from station No. 1 to station No. 2 with the pin 98 in order that when a carton is absent from the block at such time, the pin 98 will be positioned out of the path of the lug 99, as above described, andas herein shown the detector finger 104 is mounted upon a lever arm 120 secured to a vertical'shaft 122 journalled in suitable bearings in brackets 123 secured to the machine frame, as illustrate in. Fig. 6. 122 is also provided with a lever arm 124 secured thereto, and the latter is provided with a set screw 126 which adjusta ly positions the detector 104 in a path with relation to the movement of the block as the latter passes from station No. 1 to station No. 2, so that the detector will be engaged by a carton upon the block and moved therewith, and in the event that no carton is present upon the block the detector will pass without being moved through a groove 128 in the face of the block. During the operation of thedetector mechanism the detector 104 is normally en.- gaged by a carton upon the block and the shaft 122 is rotated as the block moves pastthe detector, the set screw 126 swinging outwardly from the frame. This movement of the shaft 122 by the detector is transmitted through the cooperating pinions 130, 131 and through a lever 132 and link 133 directly to the block 100 upon which the pin 98 is mounted, so that whenever the detector is swung by the carton the pin 98 is moved into its projecting position ready to engage the lug 99 upon the next lifting of the lever 102 The shaft by its operating cam 108. In this manner whenever the detector 104 is moved by a carton upon a block the cam 58 is raised to present the adhesive applying roll 50 to operative position with relation to the flaps of the carton.

After the adhesive applying mechanism has functioned to apply the adhesive to the flaps of the carton, as above described, provision is made for resetting the detector 104 into its normal operating position with the set screw 126 abutting the frame, such position being illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, and for this purpose as herein shown a resetting cam 136 is provided, driven through suitable gearing connections as illustrated. The resetting cam 136 cooperates with a cam roll 138 whose movements are transmitted through a link 140 to an arm 142 loose upon .the operating shaft 122 and which is provided for retarding the rotation of the shaft 122, and as herein shown in the lower bearing 123 a block 160 is yieldingly urged bya spring 162 against the shaft 122, the spring being adj ustably compressed by a set screw 164, the construction being illustrated in detail in Fig. 13. From the description thus far, it will be apparent that in the event of an absence of a carton from a forming block being moved from station No. 1 to station No. 2, the detector 104 will not be moved by the forming block, passing through the groove 128 therein, and the parts will remain in the relative positions illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, in which the pin 98 is withdrawn from the path of the lug 99 so that the cam 58 will not be raised when the lever 102 is lifted, and as a result the adhesive applying roll 50 will move under the forming block without coming in contact therewith.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms of packaging machines within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A packaging machine having, in combination, a supporting member for a carton, means for folding one pair of-the opposed flaps at one end of the carton, adhesive applying means arranged to travel in a direction transversely across said folded flaps, and

means means for thereafter folding the remaining flaps at said end of the carton.

2. A paokaging maehine having, in combination, a supporting member for a carton, means for folding one pair of the opposed flaps. at one end of the carton, adhesive applying means movable in a direction transversely across the folded'fiaps for applying adhesive thereto; and to the inner surface of one of the remaining flaps at said end of the carton, and means for thereafter folding the flap having no adhesive and then folding the remaining flap to seal the carton.

3. A packaging machine having, in combination, a supporting member for a carton means for folding one pair of the opposed flaps at one end of the carton, means for folding the remaining flaps at said end of the carton in succession, and means for applying adhesive to the folded pair of flaps and to the inner surface of only one of the remaining flaps.

4. In a bottom sealing machine, in combination, a block for supporting a carton, means for folding the narrower'bottom flaps upon the bottom of the block, adhesive applying means operative in a direction trans versely of said folded flaps,and folding means for-folding the remaining bottom flaps. 5. In a bottom sealing machine, in combination, a block for supporting a carton, means for folding the narrower bottom flaps upon the bottom of the block, adhesive applying means operative in a direction transversely across said folded narrower flaps and having provision for applying adhesive to the same and to the inner surface of one of the remaining flaps, and folding means for folding the remaining flaps. 40 In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speeification.

ARTHUR CLARENCE EVERETT. 

